With the stage set for the 2019 IAAF World Championships, the eyes of the Qatari fans will be firmly on their own star athletes.

Qatar will field a young team – consisting of 17 men and two women – with an average age of 21.8 years for the biennial event.

Qatar’s initial list had only 16 men in it, but with the IAAF extending its qualification deadline following pull-outs by several athletes, Jamal Hairane (800M) was also added to the squad.

Ace high jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim and star hurdler Abderrahman Samba will lead Qatar’s charge.

Mutaz, the reigning world champion and two-time Olympic medallist, is back from an injury and has been training hard at the Khalifa International Stadium.

The 28-year-old, who was voted the 2017 World Athlete of the Year, has cleared 2.27M twice since returning to active competition in June.

Mutaz said he would be his own toughest opponent.

“I’m not looking at any particular rival in Doha. If I’m healthy, I think I’ll be my own biggest competition. I’m looking forward to having a great event,” he told Inside Qatar.

Asked if Cuban Javier Sotomayer’s long-standing world record would be at the back of his mind in Doha, the answer was diplomatic.

“My only aims are to be healthy and jump for gold for my family and country. It’ll be a great mental support knowing my well-wishers are so close to the mat. As for the world record, I want to be 100 per cent fit and then, step by step, shift my targets,” he said.

Samba, who has been entered in both 400M flat and 400M hurdles races, will clearly focus on the second, where he is the world’s third-fastest runner (46.98sec) of all time along with Rai Benjamin of the United States. With defending champion Karsten Warholm (46.92) of Norway also in the fray, sparks are sure to fly.

Another home talent on view will be the 18-year-old Owaab Barrow, who will run the 100M. Barrow is also a part of the 4x100M relay team along with Yaqoob Al Hasani, Mahamat Zakaria Khalid, Abdelaziz Mohamed, and Ogunode brothers Femi and Tosin.

While Femi is the current Asian 100M record holder, Tosin had finished second at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. Abdelaziz Mohamed, 18, will compete in the 200M.

The home challenge in the 400M will come from Samba and Abdalelah Haroun, who completed a 400M and 4x400M relay gold double in Jakarta. Haroun had also won bronze at the 2017 London Worlds.

Jakarta Asian Games bronze medallist Abubaker Haydar Abdalla and Hairane will be Qatar’s representatives in the 800M.

Abdirahman Saeed Hassan (1,500M), Yaser Salem Bagharab (3,000M steeplechase) and former Under-20 world champion and 2018 Asian Games gold medallist Ashraf Amgad El Seify (hammer throw) are the other Qatari male athletes in the fray.

Mariam Farid Mamdouh, who was an ambassador for Doha’s World Championships bid, and Kenza Sosse will compete in the women’s 400M hurdles and 400M races respectively.